CyberRisk Alliance Launches Benchmark Industry Index

Resource Allocation and Efficacy Index tracks deployment of cybersecurity resources, spending and confidence

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) today introduced a quarterly index designed to track organizations’ deployment of cybersecurity resources and their confidence in the efficacy of those measures. The inaugural Cybersecurity Resource Allocation and Efficacy (CRAE) Index revealed increasing spending in Q2, 2020 — and increased confidence — as large companies expanded cybersecurity strategies in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The CRAE Index is developed and published by CRA’s research arm, CRA Business Intelligence, and underwritten by Pulse Secure. The data is derived from quarterly surveys of 300 senior-level business, cybersecurity and IT professionals in large companies in North America and Europe. CRAE monitors resource allocation across each of the five major components of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework — to provide an aggregate index as well as sub-indices.

“In cybersecurity, the changing threat environment requires smart deployment of a broad range of strategic and tactical approaches, including the allocation of people, programs, and technology,” said Dana Jackson, CRA’s VP of Research. “As a leading voice in cybersecurity, we wanted the industry to have a way of tracking organizational decision-making about the prioritization of risk management efforts to help make more informed decisions about their own investments and deployments.”

The CRAE Index’s first wave registered scores of 66.5 for Resource Allocation and Spending and 75.8 for Efficacy, where any score over 50 indicates a directional increase from the prior quarter. These readings indicate organizations devoted more money and resources to cybersecurity in 2Q over 1Q of 2020. Survey respondents also believe their defenses were more effective than during the previous quarter, despite — or maybe in response to — the increased threats. 

The study coincided with the pandemic’s onset. Fully half of those surveyed said they faced increased threat levels, including phishing and endpoint-related malware attacks, during the period when work-at home arrangements placed many staff outside corporate cybersecurity defenses.  

For more detail about where organizations are spending the most money and which threats concerned respondents most, click here to view or download the full study. 

About CyberRisk Alliance
CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) is a business intelligence company serving the cybersecurity community. Our mission is to provide the knowledge and insight needed to navigate today’s complex security landscape, and to support and empower the industry’s leaders. Our trusted information leverages a unique network of journalists, analysts and influencers, policymakers and practitioners, and is delivered through events, research, media, and virtual learning. Our brands include SC Media and InfoSec World, our research unit CRA Intelligence, as well as the peer-to-peer CISO networks Cybersecurity Collaborative and Cybersecurity Collaboration Forum. More information is available at CyberRiskAlliance.com.

About Pulse Secure
Pulse Secure provides secure access solutions for people, devices, things and services that improve visibility, protection and productivity for its customers. Pulse Secure integrates cloud, mobile, application and network access to enable hybrid IT in a Zero Trust world. Over 24,000 enterprises entrust Pulse Secure to secure its workforce. More information is available at PulseSecure.net.

Contact: David Sigel
Phone: (612) 877-0588
Email: David.Sigel@CyberRiskAlliance.com